Why Dental Benefits?

According to the Surgeon General, 164 million work hours are lost each year due to dental-related illnesses in adults, and kids miss 51 million school hours each year due to oral health issues.1 Providing employees and their families with dental benefits can help keep them at work and productive. Preventive dental care can reduce the occurrence of more costly dental issues.

A healthy smile is important—not only to oral health, but for overall health, too. Did you know a dentist can detect more than 120 symptoms of nondental diseases—including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and osteoporosis—during a routine oral exam?2 A dentist may be the first line of defense in diagnosing health problems that could be more costly in the long run.

Having dental coverage helps members get the care they need to stay healthy. It also can help keep overall health care costs down. After all, good health starts with a healthy smile!